Colorado Trip late Sep - driving suggestions

Hi all

We are planning a trip for 5 days in Colorado, and would definitely love to catch the fall foliage hotspots (and also trying to minimize driving).

Since this is our first time in the mountains, please let us know if this much driving in a day will be tiring.

This is the itinerary for now...

Sep 30 - Leave Denver for Buena Vista, drive through Cottonwood pass to Crested Butte

Oct 1 - Leave Crested Butte for Carbondale, drive through Kebler, Ohio and Mclure passes (how far along Ohio Pass do we need to go, to catch the best aspen views?)

Oct 2 - Leave Carbondale for Aspen (Maroon bells), and then go to Vail through Glenwood Canyon

Oct 3 - Stay in Vail, and look around.

Oct 4 - go to RMNP..will that be too much of a drive in day i.e. Vail to RMNP and then to Denver

Oct 5 - early morn flight from Denver

The thing that is freaking me out, is the amount of driving and mountain driving. Are any of these routes dangerous? Any other suggestions of places to see, or routes are welcome.

Thank you so much
Nill

All of this itinerary is completely feasible, and none of the roads are the least bit treacherous. The Ohio Pass road is the closest you'll come to a "bad" road, and that's just a short stretch in the trees close to the pass when coming from the CB side. Totally do-able in a passenger car.

Personally, I'd excise RMNP from the list. It's not a big fall color destination, especially when compared to the other places you're going, and would probably be a disappointment after spending time amongst Kebler's vast aspen forests. Also, by then I suspect fall colors would be on the forest floor by 10/4. I would suggest spending an extra day around CB (along with Gothic Rd.)/Kebler Pass/Ohio Pass.

I don't think RMNP will be worth it either unless you're looking for elk and lot's o people.
I'll second hanging out in the CB/Cottonwood Pass area a little longer.

Thanks so much guys! I am going crazy planning this perfect Fall trip:)

I just have a few more questions....

Are the dates too late for peak fall colors in Kebler?

Will the Denver to Crested Butte drive through Cottonwood pass, be a very long and tiring drive or is it totally doable?

And
From the Kebler Pass side, how far do you need to go on Ohio Pass, to see the best aspen views?

Thank you so much...for all the help and enthusiasm...
Do you have any suggestions for places to stay between Crested Butte and Aspen?

I just have a few more questions....

Are the dates too late for peak fall colors in Kebler?
Those dates are spot on, based on historical averages.

Will the Denver to Crested Butte drive through Cottonwood pass, be a very long and tiring drive or is it totally doable?
Depends on what you're used to. Wouldn't be a problem for me. I assume you get in the day before? If so, this is no problem.

And
From the Kebler Pass side, how far do you need to go on Ohio Pass, to see the best aspen views?
As far as you want. Where the Ohio Pass road leaves the Kebler Pass road, it's all pine forest. But shortly after you drop over Ohio Pass (a mile or less), you'll drop into an aspen paradise for several miles.

The drive from Denver to Crested Butte via Leadville and Cottonwood Pass takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes, with many, many places to stop and look around. I think that going through Leadville is prettier than over Kenosha Pass, but you will see more aspens by going over Kenosha Pass. They take about the same amount of time during good weather. Other than the west side of Cottonwood Pass, most of the roads are curvy, hilly two-lane highways. Part of the west side of Cottonwood is a dirt road. If you have never driven in the mountains, it will probably take you a bit longer, especially down the west side of Cottonwood Pass. Nothing scary or at all dangerous.

I would agree to skip RMNP if you are focused on seeing aspens. Vail is nice, but certainly not as nice as the area around Crested Butte and Aspen. Considering that you say you want to minimize driving, I think you would get more from sticking to exploring the backroads around Crested Butte (including Kebler Pass, Ohio Pass, Gothic Road, etc), seeing McClure Pass and Maroon Bells, and then exploring the area around Aspen, especially if you want to do more than roadside photography.

If you don't mind staying flexible, you might want to stay tuned into this forum and then go to the hot spots for the time you will be here instead of committing to an itinerary that takes you to areas that are past peak or gone because of storms because you are locked into lodging.

Finally, if you want to photograph Maroon Bells at sunrise, you will want to stay in Aspen since you will need to claim a space way before sunrise. Even though it is Aspen, you can still find reasonably priced lodging.

I will second Sarah's suggestion about not locking yourself into lodging before time. Flexibility is key in fall phography in Colorado, for sure, and most of the time you can arrive rather late in a town and get a room....epecially places like Gunnison, which is only 30minutes or so from Crested Butte. Rooms are not cheap in places like Aspen...I would recommend Basalt jsut down the road. Not far to drive to make a Maroon Bells sunrise. Joe Rogers

I guess I happen to be a big fan of RMNP and think it's always worth going. I think others have a point about the fall colors because much of the park above 10k, thus mostly conifers, but if you're from out of state I think RMNP is still worth hitting. However, by the date you want to go, the aspens will be past peak, or mostly bare, so you might want to consider starting in RMNP.

As for hanging out in Vail, I'd ditch that completely in lieu of staying in CB an extra day, or at least hiking up to Hangin lake near Glenwood Springs.

I could easily spend the entire week in CB or the San Juan area myself.

I have to disagree here with skipping RMNP, sorry guys. I also think it is very well worth wild going, especially considering the Elk Rut, and there is plenty of color up there, too. One only needs to include the outside surroundings of Estes to set it over the top, like the lower St Vrain along 72 and the Wild Basin area of RMNP.

Thanks everyone!
I am sure there are still plenty of great places I am going to miss, with a meagre 5-day schedule.

I will definitely consider driving up the Gothic Road, and
about RMNP, Bryan, I am from DC and RMNP was big on my list, but I just have to check if I have enough time.

Thanks for helping me out here.

I found this guy's information very helpful - maybe it will help you too.

http://mycolorado.org/fall_drives.html

dw

I am seriosuly considering going over Fremont Pass, especially since everyone has been saying that the aspens have lost their leaves on Kenosha Pass. Does anybody have an update on Kenosha Pass?
Thanks!